Beginning Anew
by Rykera
Summary: Kieren Schreave never enjoyed being in the spotlight. He was happy in the background as his older brother rose to become king of Illea. But when one moment ruins everything, Kieren is not only forced into a position he never wanted to fill, but also to find a wife when he wants nothing but to mourn. Can he find someone that will make him willing to live and to begin anew?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello world. I have been really inactive for a very long time and I realized that I need to start writing again. Just note that I am really bad about keeping up with writing so if there are long periods in which I don't write, I am not dead.**

**For this particular story, I'm not actually sure if I want to make an SYOC but I can be convinced otherwise. If you think that I should make it an SYOC then say so in the comments or PM me. **

**Do people actually read this? Oh well.**

**All rights belong to Kiera Cass. I just made the characters.**

**EDIT: I just changed a couple of really small character things to set a better timeline**

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Chapter One:

Kieren's head hurt. He almost couldn't remember a time when it didn't hurt, but he had learned not to mention it to anyone lest they drag him back to the hospital and pump him with enough medication to kill a cat. He closed his eyes and tried to tune out his advisor as she droned on and on about something or other. Probably trade deals with the African Union. Couldn't they realize that five months of learning statecraft could only bring him so far in preserving a relationship that had been deteriorating for decades?

He gripped the bridge of his nose to dissipate the headache, but the action only made the tremors in his left hand that more salient. Yet another thing that wouldn't go away, serving to remind him of everything he had lost.

He remembered what it felt like to wake up in the hospital room. He had initially panicking, not remembering where he was or how he had gotten there. The only other person in the room burst into tears as he hyperventilated.

"Oh my god, Kieren." she sobbed. "It's okay, I'm here. It's me, Ada. I'm here."

"Ada?" Her name felt heavy in his mouth, like he couldn't remember how to speak. But even the sound helped to calm him down.

"You're awake. I thought you were going to die, too."

"Whe…"

She squeezed his hand. "Don't try to speak. The doctors said that you suffered severe brain trauma. They said it's a miracle that you survived."

The moment she mentioned trauma, Kieren noticed that his body felt like it was on fire. Now that he was calmer, he looked around the room. Obviously he was in a hospital. Something terrible must have happened, for he was hooked up to dozens of different machines, each displaying information that was completely lost on him. There was a TV mounted to the wall in the back corner of the room and in its reflection, he could see multiple bruises and gashes on his face. His head was completely shaved and there was a long line of stitching down the side.

He didn't even have to ask the question because she seemed to understand what he was thinking. She grabbed a remote from the bedside table and turned the TV on. It was already tuned to the Report. Kieren was so used to seeing Roland Camarillo's contagious grin on the show that it took awhile to realize that he wasn't smiling.

"This is a rerun of last week's Report." Ada explained.

"... that Princess Sophie, wife of the late Crown Prince Rhys Schreave, died Monday morning in the hospital from the injuries she sustained. Her family was with her when she passed. In the wake of this tragic news, we hold out hope and pray that Prince Kieren will pull through. Princess Ada and the castle staff ask that the public give them privacy during this hard time."

Sophie was dead? That couldn't be right. He was just with her. Rhys and Sophie just got married. That had just happened. There was no way…

"Ada, can you get me reports for all of them?" The words slurred together as he struggled to get them out, but he knew she understood so he didn't elaborate.

She hesitated. "It'll be easier if I just tell you what happened."

"No, I… I need to see them."

She brought him more than he expected. Newspaper clippings, police investigation reports, photographs, doctors reports, even mortuary records. Kieren could tell that she had all of this gathered beforehand, trying to piece together everything that she had to have already known. The opinions and perspectives and questions posed differed, but they all pointed towards the same facts.

On Wednesday, January 16, the royal limo containing King Brant, Queen Kerttu, Prince Rhys, Prince Kieren and Princess Sophie crashed en route to Sophie's parents home.

Brant Schreave: Dead on site.

Kerttu Schreave: Dead on site.

Rhys Schreave: Dead on site.

Sophie Schreave: Received at Angeles Hospital on Wednesday, January 16 at 9:42 PM. Fractured skull, broken ribs, pneumothorax, spinal fracture, lacerations on face and hands. Comatose state in ICU. Died in ICU on Monday, January 21 at 11:07 AM.

Kieren Schreave: Received at Angeles Hospital on Wednesday, January 16 at 9:37 PM. Craniocerebral trauma, broken ribs, broken leg, internal bleeding, multiple lacerations on body. Comatose state in ICU.

He couldn't remember it. Everyone in the car except him died and he couldn't remember any of it. He didn't know their final words, or remember seeing them in their final moments. The only person who could give testament to their final thoughts had nothing to say. The realization had all but destroyed him.

"Your Majesty. Kieren!"

He opened his eyes, realizing that he had fallen asleep at his desk in front of Nylah Price, one of his advisors. Only six months ago, if he had been caught asleep at his desk, he would be scolded. Now, they looked at him like he was going to keel over at any second.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. What were you saying?"

"Your Majesty. You need to give more concern towards this country's affairs. You are the King now-"

"Which I never wanted to be." He remarked.

"And every decision you make has major impacts on your people. It's not a matter to take lightly."

"Nylah, you realize I don't know what I'm doing, right?"

"All the more reason to pay attention."

Kieren sighed heavily. "I can't solve all of this country's problems in a day. I wasn't taught how to manage the affairs of a country. I didn't go on diplomatic trips to meet with foreign dignitaries. I don't understand all the nuanced workings of the economy. I'm not ready for this."

Her face softened. "You know much more than you give yourself credit for. And regardless, you owe it to your parents and your brother to try."

He sighed and nodded, resigned. Picking up a pen, he looked at the papers on his desk, each one waiting for his approval. Lately, he hadn't even bothered reading through them. One, however, stood out from the rest, mostly because of one of the words printed in big letters in the heading: Selection.

He held it up to Nylah. "No."

"Your Majesty, now that you are king, it has to happen at some point."

"Nope."

"It would really increase moral among the citizens. Everyone is worried about the future of the country and they want you to find a match."

He crumpled up the paper and threw it on the floor. "Nuh uh."

"Your brother did it and he found a wonderful match in Princess Sophie. You don't need to be afraid.

He spun in his big chair. "Nada."

"Please, your Majesty."

He shut his eyes and jammed his fingers into his ears. "La la la la la la la."

"Your Majesty."

Kieren stopped spinning and looked up at her. "Look, I'm only nineteen years old and I'm really not looking to get married right now."

"Your brother was nineteen, too."

"Yeah, and now he's dead. And so is Sophie. The Selection didn't solve that, did it?"

She gaped at him. "Kieren!"

"What happened to 'Your Majesty'?"

She dropped into the chair on the other side of the desk and rubbed her face in frustration. "I swear. Do you like playing with people just because you know they're not as smart as you? Or do you just do this to me."

"I do this to people who insist on me having a Selection."

Nylah was quiet for a second, no doubt thinking how to convince him to put his people before himself. He devoted his entire life to his people. But there was a line that he didn't want crossed. That line was forcing him to get married.

When she finally spoke, she was reserved. "The reason isn't just for entertainment. There have been increased rebel presence in the southern provinces. People have been revolting. They see your reign as a weakness that they can exploit to further their agenda. Having a Selection could dissipate some of the turmoil."

He scoffed. "Is that the answer for everything? God, I feel like whenever something is wrong, everyone just says 'Let's have a Selection' like it's going to magically solve everything. We've had rebellion problems for as long as this country has existed. Even _Rhys's _Selection was partially meant appease the rebels. It didn't work."

"No, but the increased popularity of Rhys and Sophie lead to less people joining rebel groups. No one wants to overthrow a good king."

Kieren nodded. "I understand now. I'm not a good king until I have a wife." He mocked.

Nylah rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant. This country is more confused than ever, losing over half of the royal in one day has left the country reeling, grasping desperately for something stable."

He looked down at the hand that he could no longer completely control. "Yeah, I'm not sure if I can do stable."

"You're not unstable. You're just..."

"Decrepit?" He offered. "Deformed?"

"Damaged."

"That's no better."

She took his hands in her own. "You are damaged, but in the same way that everyone has scars. Just because you lost some of your motor functionality doesn't mean that you are any less where it matters. I want to help both you and the country heal the rift that your family left behind and I really think that a Selection is a step in the right direction."

Kieren looked into her eyes. Nylah had been a family friend for a very long time. Her father had been an advisor for Kieren's grandfather and then she herself had been advisor for Kieren's mother before she died. He had grown up with her being a constant presence in his life. Nylah was like an aunt to him. And if she was telling him that he should have a Selection, then he could trust there was no ulterior motive behind the gesture and she truly did think it was the right decision.

But was he really ready to commit himself to a random stranger. Sure, it had worked out in the end for Rhys, but Kieren wasn't like his brother. He wasn't some teenage heartthrob who make people fall in love with him just by looking at them. He wasn't sociable or charismatic or exciting and he definitely didn't bring out the best in people.

Not only that, but having a Selection so soon after his family died and he became king felt equivalent to spitting on their graves. He didn't deserve to have fun or find a girlfriend when Rhys and Sophie didn't even get to spend one week married together before they both died. He should be dead with the rest of them. Maybe then he'd find peace.

_Don't leave Ada alone again._

That one thought never failed to bring him back from the brink of despair. He couldn't just lie down and die, no matter how much the stress of running a kingdom and the thought of his parents and brother's deaths made him want to do so. He didn't care about his own happiness, but if having a Selection meant that he would be around for her, then it was worth it.

_I am going to regret this._

"All decisions are up to me?"

She nodded vigorously, spurred on by his acquiescence.

"And if I really feel like I don't connect with any of them, I can send them all home?"

She bit her lip. "I don't know about that. Maybe? I'm pretty sure there is precedence for that. But if you send them all home then you have to do it over again until you find someone."

"Fine, fine. I'll sign the edict." Kieren turned back to his desk and found the crumpled up ball on the floor. "You don't by any chance have an extra, do you?"

Nylah smiled conspiratorially and pulled another out of a folder. "I came prepared."

* * *

Naturally, the whole country was in an uproar about the news. Millions of girls couldn't believe their luck. Two Selections within three years of each other. Many of those who had not made it into the first one were literally climbing over each other to submit their application for another shot at queenhood.

Some thought it too soon after the deaths of the royal family. Six months wasn't enough time for anyone to properly mourn. Others thought it should have come even sooner, eager for the chance to put the accident in the past and look towards a brighter future with a new king.

And others conspired in the shadows, ready to put this unique opportunity to good use…

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**Tell me what you think. I am always open to suggestions.**

**Again, if you think that I should make this an SYOC, just tell me. Depending on how many people tell me they're interested I might make it an SYOC.**

**TROLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hooray I'm not dead.**

**So after some self mediated deliberation, I have decided to not make this an SYOC, for a couple of reasons. First being that I want to have complete control over the story and stuff. I tried doing an SYOC in the past, but I guess I offended people cause I didn't portray their character exactly as they envisioned. Which is valid, but I don't want to deal with writing through a minefield this time around. Second being that I am doing this more for myself than anything. One of the big reasons why people do SYOCs is to guarantee viewership. While having a lot of people reading my stuff is great, I am doing thing more for myself, to make sure that I keep writing and don't get bogged down by college and life and shit.**

**Sorry if that was depressing.**

**On that note, enjoy Chapter Two.**

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Chapter Two:

Kieren and Nylah spent the next two hours going over a whole list of issues. Involvement in the New Asian Civil War, national budgets, rebel movements, the upcoming mayoral elections, the drought in the Southern provinces and of course, Selection logistics. He could barely keep up with it all, but he was proud to say that he stayed engaged the entire time.

When Nylah finally left, Kieren wanted nothing more than to sleep for the rest of his life. But of course, there was one more elephant-in-the-room that he had to address. He went over to the wet bar that he made sure to keep well stocked and pulled a bottle of beer from the minifridge. He would need it for the conversation he was about to have.

"What the hell do you want?" He asked without turning around.

Rhys chuckled from his place on the couch. "Why didn't you tell her about me? I could tell you wanted to."

The cap came off with a satisfying pop. "Cause she'd think I was crazy."

"You are crazy."

He ignored the jab. "Put me on antidepressants or something."

"Would that really be so terrible?"

Kieren took a long drink, sighed heavily and turned to face his brother's ghost. Rhys lounged on the couch, nursing a glass of wine, with a confidence that said that he was the most perfect man in the world and knew it. Kieren couldn't remember anything about the day of the crash, but from the pictures he'd seen, he knew that Rhys was wearing the same thing now as when he died, except for one noticeable difference. No wedding ring.

"Stop pretending to be Rhys. Rhys wasn't this derisive, or showy. He was kind and thoughtful and maybe not humble, but he knew he had flaws and always tried to fix them. He wasn't like… _this_."

Rhys looked up for the first time. Those icy blue, dead eyes bore right into Kieren, peeling back every layer that he used to protect himself to expose the frightened boy on the inside. The boy that could no longer hide behind his mother's skirts.

"How would you know?" The ghost asked. "You can barely remember me sometimes. How would you know that I wasn't like this? That I wasn't like _you_?"

He sneered. "Fuck off."

"Make me."

Kieren had to remind himself that Rhys only showed up when he doubted himself and that his brother was just a figment of his imagination. He downed the whole bottle and grabbed another one before leaving the room. But like a loyal dog, or perhaps more like a parasite, Rhys followed.

"What are you thinking?" Rhys asked in a sing-song voice.

"You're in my head, you know exactly what I'm thinking."

Rhys rolled his eyes. Kieren didn't even see the action, but he knew. "Yes, a whole lot of rude language and gestures at me, but that's not what I meant."

Kieren ignored him as they approached a pair of guards walking the opposite direction. The last thing he needed was for the staff to be gossiping about how their king talks to himself. The guards bowed as he passed before continuing on.

"You're wondering what Ada would think if she saw you like this."

What once would have made him stop cold in his tracks didn't even slow him down now. This was a dialogue they had many times before.

Rhys continued on. "You haven't had a real conversation with her in months. Have you ever wondered why that is?"

"Shut up."

But Rhys was on a roll. "I was always her favorite brother. The one she went to for advice, the one she went to for help on homework, the one she looked up to more, trusted more, dare I say, loved more."

Kieren's headache was getting worse. The alcohol probably wasn't helping. He needed to lie down. "I said to fucking shut up."

"Not only that but she looked up to Sophie like the big sister she never had. And Mom and Dad doted on her, their little girl. No wonder Ada blames you for being the only one to make it out."

Kieren threw the beer bottle at his brother, who didn't even need to dodge it because the tremors in his hand sent the bottle flying nowhere near Rhys. It crashed into the window, splattering what little amber liquid was left on the glass. He tottered backwards and slumped against the wall on the opposite side of the hall.

Rhys tsked at him. "Poor Kieren. Ruining everything. Go see Ada if you think I'm wrong."

He wasn't wrong though. Kieren saw Ada everyday at meals, but they never got past small talk. And Ada never went out of her way to see him. He couldn't blame her. He wouldn't go out of his way to see himself, either. It hurt though. And he was too much of a coward to go see her. He just hoped that being there if she ever decided to come to him was enough.

A servant girl rounded the corner to see him staring at the broken glass. So much for keeping up appearances.

He blushed in embarrassment. "I, uh… I-I'm sorry. I'll clean this up."

She gave him a look of pity, not even questioning what happened. "You're Majesty, with all due respect, I don't think you're in the right mind to. I'll clean it. You should get some rest."

"Rest, yeah. Rest is good." God, he must have sounded so crazy.

The girl bent down to pick up the broken glass. "I won't tell anyone about this if you're worried about that."

Kieren let out a breath, relieved. "Thank you." He walked on, still feeling guilty but too tired to do anything but sleep. Rhys, mercifully, didn't bother him the entire way to his room, instead letting him brood in silence.

Did Ada really think that? The question had been plaguing him for the last five months, ever since he had come back from the hospital. She was not the type of girl to be so petty, so he was able to convince himself that it wasn't true, she wasn't resentful of him. It motivated him to always be there for her. But that rationale got weaker and weaker the longer they spent in distant silence.

Kieren got back to his room and immediately dismissed the servants who were there. He almost didn't change out of his clothes, but they were too stiff to get any kind of sleep in them. The last thing that he saw before falling asleep was Rhys standing over him, a cold smile on his face.

"Sweet dreams." The ghost said.

They were anything but sweet.

* * *

The days leading up to the Selection were… hectic, to say the least. New staff needed to be hired to handle the sudden influx of guests. Everything from the decor in the guest rooms to the menu of the first dinner to the possibility of a party three months in the future needed to be approved. And of course, the girls needed to be Selected.

My mother had told me that some fifty or sixty years ago, when the caste system existed, my great grandfather's Selection hadn't been random. King Maxon's father had instead picked girls that would bring something to the table, with a couple of random ones thrown in to appease the people of lower castes. And yet he still found the love of his life in a Five and together they had abolished the caste system. It was a very romantic story, and one that people still liked to tell. But in this instance, it helped to remind Kieren that it could be worse. Those thirty-five strangers could have been chosen for him.

Reading the names of the Selected the night of the Capitol Report was, in its own way, the most terrifying thing he had ever done. But afterwards, he actually enjoyed learning about each of the girls, much more so than he expected. Of the thirty-five, there was an actress, an architect, a music producer, and even a bodyguard. Daniella Bard from Labrador could speak five languages. Virginia Bryant from Sonage was an award winning violinist. Kieren was particularly amused to see there was Caroline from Fennely and Finley from Carolina.

But when the day came that the Selected would arrive at the palace, it became terrifying again. All of the girls went through unholy amounts of screening, so they were all safe to be around, but the thought that he would probably marry one of these girls was strange considering they were all strangers as of that moment.

That day was unusually calm after the last few weeks of hell. Everything was set up in the Women's Room for the makeovers later that day, the staff was fully trained and prepared, the menus and decor and all the other minutiae had been set for weeks. Everything was ready. The quiet before the storm.

One of the nice things about being king was that Kieren could do pretty much anything he wanted. So when he wanted to just lie on a bench in the garden, no one could stop him.

He was dozing with a book laying across his face when he heard sensed someone standing over him. He hadn't heard the crunch of gravel as they had approached, but he did hear the ring of metal on metal as a blade was drawn from a scabbard. He didn't move.

"Are you really just going to lie there and let me kill you?"

"I was having a fantastic time feeling sorry for myself and now that you have interrupted that, I no longer see a point in living. Kill away." He waved dismissively in the voice's direction.

The book was lifted from his eyes and Kieren found himself face to face with death itself, in the form of his best friend. Shane was only a year older than Kieren, but was by far the best fighter that he had ever met. He had been trained from a young age in five different martial arts and was adept at almost every bladed weapon under the sun, but instead he had decided to join the palace guard. A soldier with the skill set of an assassin. One of the rumors that the other guards spread about Shane was that he could kill with just a look. Today, though, his dark eyes were just full of annoyance.

Shane scoffed. "Okay, but what if I actually came here to kill you? What then?"

"Then I'd die?" _Obviously_.

"I'm being serious."

Kieren sat up and rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes. "I know well enough by now that if you really wanted me dead, I'd be dead. And there's literally nothing I can do to stop you."

Shane rolled his eyes and turned to grab a second sword and a set of leather armor that he had leaned against a nearby tree. "Fine, then, what if I had been a _rebel _coming to assassinate you."

Kieren leaned down and grabbed a bit of gravel off the ground. "As much as you like to paint me as some kind of damsel in distress, I've been training for assassination attempts since I was seven. Besides, no one else can walk on gravel and not make a sound like you."

"It could happen."

"You're basically a ninja. It really can't." Kieren scoffed.

Shane flipped the second sword around so that the blade was facing downward and held it up to Kieren. "Take the sword."

Kieren groaned loudly, deliberately over the top. "Why you do this?"

"Cause I'm an asshole." Shane said with a wide grin. "Take the damn sword."

He did, and examined the blade. They first began sparring three years before when Shane had started working at the palace, seeing as they were around the same age. In that time, their sparring had gotten more and more intense. They had gone through a whole host of different fighting styles, from hand-to-hand combat to the standard broadsword to quarterstaves to Bowie knives to unlit torches. Kieren was dying to know where Shane got his hands on all of this.

Today, they were fighting with khopeshes: short swords with wicked curvature that were good at disarming and dismembering alike. The edges were blunted of course, but getting hit with one of these things head on would still hurt like hell.

"Why?" Kieren asked as he put the armor on. He had asked the question so many times before that he didn't need to elaborate. And the answer was always the same.

"Cause it's more interesting."

Kieren grinned as he bent down into a fighting stance. "You really are sadistic."

"Why thank you for noticing."

They circled each other, each looking for an opening in their opponent's defenses. And, as usual, Kieren could find none and pounced anyway. The blades clashed in a brief battle of strength before Shane parried and ducked beneath Kieren's arm to get to his exposed back. But he was ready, twisting his arm to block from behind and spinning away to nullify the advantage.

Three years ago, their sparring was less like sparring and more like one-way slaughter. The fights would end with Shane unscathed and a vaguely-Kieren-shaped bruise on the ground. But despite the constant beatings, or maybe due to them, he had significantly improved. Before long, the fights lasted more than a few seconds and in a couple years, Kieren was almost keeping up with Shane's movements. By now, they were having actual fights. Of course, he had never beaten his friend, but when he did score points, it wasn't pure luck anymore.

So much time spent fighting the same person made every little weakness about them much more apparent. Shane had very few, and the ones he did have he accounted for expertly, but Kieren needed every advantage he could get. Right before Shane lunged, he drew back to increase his momentum. In that instant, Kieren sidestepped and crouched to sweep Shane's feet out from under him, but instead of lunging like Kieren expected, Shane leaped and landed on Kieren's blade. He lost his grip on the khopesh and a moment later both swords were to his throat.

They stood there for a moment like that, each trying to catch their breath, before Shane lowered the swords. "Well that was fun."

"Yeah, but now I'm all sweaty. You realize that the girls are coming soon?"

"What girl doesn't love a sweaty man?"

"Every girl."

"Ah shit, is that where I've been going wrong?"

Kieren laughed at the joke and followed Shane on the path back to the palace. They split to get washed up and change before the girls arrived, then met each other again in Kieren's office. Shane pulled out two beers from the bar fridge and joined him on the balcony.

Kieren really liked the office. It was much cozier than the rest of the palace, sacrificing the usual opulence for practicality. Plus it had a fantastic view of the city of Angeles in the distance. He leaned on the balcony railing and stared at the buildings, contemplative. Somewhere in that city was his future wife, probably on the way from the airport right now.

It took him a moment to notice that Shane was watching him with a smug look on his face. "What?" He asked.

"Oh nothing. It's just you look very calm for a man that's about to have thirty-five women claw each other to death over him."

He chuckled. "That's one way to narrow the pool."

Shane hopped onto the railing, perfectly balancing himself in a crouch. "So, have you given any thought about which of these girls is 'the One'?" He made air quotes around the term, as if the weight of the word was inconsequential.

"I haven't even met them yet. Also, what if I end up not connecting with any of them? What then?" He took a long swig from the bottle.

Shane shrugged. "You do what your mom did. You send them home and you try again."

Kieren's mother had actually been the first one, as far as he knew, to send all of the Selected home. At the time, it was apparently some big scandal. People were freaking out and everything. But then she had a second Selection and met his father. And now, no one could say that it was the wrong decision. His father had been a fantastic king.

Kieren made a face. "Yeah, I'm not sure if I want to go through the stress of a second Selection, though. One is just fine, thank you very much."

All of sudden Shane put his hand on Kieren's shoulder. "Wait, wait, wait, look. Over there."

Kieren followed Shane's finger to the end of the long driveway before the palace and inhaled sharply. A limousine had stopped in front of the gates in the walls surrounding the palace. They opened slowly, allowing admittance for the first of the Selected.

It all suddenly felt too real. Much more real than in the last few weeks. They were actually here.

Shane looked thrilled. "You are the luckiest man alive."

"Yes, lucky enough to have thirty-five women claw each other to death over me. Joy."

They quieted again and leaned over to get a better look as the car stopped in front of the palace. Kieren had spent the last few weeks memorizing the names and faces of all of the Selected, so he immediately recognized the girls as they exited the car. The first one to get out was the busty, aggressively blonde model Annalise Howell from Columbia.

"Have you ever heard the sexy lamp test?" Kieren asked.

"No, but you had me at sexy."

"It's to test if a female character in a book or a movie is important or just fan service. Basically, if you can replace the character with a sexy lamp and the story still functions the same way, the character is basically useless. That right there," he said, pointing at Annalise, "is one sexy lamp."

The two of them burst out laughing and Shane almost fell off the balcony. It felt really good to laugh and Kieren could forget for a few moments how uneasy he felt about everything.

They spent the next few hours watching the girls arrive in limos in groups of three to five, wondering which of them would end up not leaving.

"What about her?" Kieren asked. "Ryla Perez from Paloma. Works in security."

Shane considered for a second then shrugged. "Solid seven out of ten. Girl behind her though?" He whistled. "Looking fine."

Kieren snorted and shook his head. "I think that the last of them." He stood and went over to his desk, where his crown was waiting in an ornate and frankly quite ridiculous box. He placed it on his head and turned to Shane, who was lying on the ground with his hands behind his head and the bottle sticking straight up from his mouth.

"How do I look?"

Shane took the bottle from his mouth. "Aw sweetie, you look beautiful." He said sardonically. Then his mouth formed a sly grin. "Now, go woo yourself a wife."

* * *

**Ah yes, torturing characters. My favorite thing to do. **

**Leave a comment and tell me how I could do better because, while I am unconscious of intentional error, I am nevertheless to sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors. Also tell me if you get the reference ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Greeting denizens of the interweb. **

**Yes, my month-ish long hiatus has come to an end. I wasn't planning on not writing for this long, but Thanksgiving, then finals, then Christmas took up a lot of my time and attention. But I have returned. I have abandoned other fanfictions in the past, but I am determined to see this one through. As an apology, I will be posting another chapter within the next few days after I'm done proofreading. **

**When referencing the books for source material, it occurred to me that I forgot many of those small details. I think that I will be able to account for all of it, plus address some odd worldbuilding holes that I felt the books didn't fill, but if there is something that I forgot, feel free to scream at me to fix it. **

**Happy New Year.**

* * *

Chapter Three:

Ryla had never felt so uncomfortable in her life. She felt violated in more ways she thought possible. Forced into a tight, itchy dress, forced to act like a lady, and worst of all, forced to feed the undoubtedly astronomically-inflated ego of an undeserving young king. The thought of it made her blood boil. But she reminded herself that the forces acting against her were nothing compared to those acting on her behalf. The king would be dead by the end of the year. Ryla could take solace in that fact.

The Selection had been a welcome surprise, a unique opportunity to place an assassin with direct access to the king. Her revolutionary group had been trying for years, but had not been able to implant anyone else high enough within the castle hierarchy. The palace staff were unfortunately too diligent to allow for that.

But finding a candidate to spy on them in the castle proved a challenge. Obviously, the person needed to be a girl between the ages of 17 and 21, which limited the choices considerably. Plus, they had no guarantee that they would plant someone in through the Selection either, due to its archaic traditions. All of the Selection applications were completed and chosen randomly by the king himself via physical pieces of paper, meaning there was no computer to hack or official to bribe. The leaders of their organization sent out requests to all their supporters, urging all eligible girls to enter the Selection in order to change the course of history. The irony of that situation, in which the rebels had their own sort of "Selection" was laughable. Of those thousands of supporters, only Ryla was Selected, as far as she knew. She had spent the last few weeks undergoing intense training in preparation for her infiltration. There was so much invested in her, meaning she had to stay in the Selection as long as possible. Meaning the act she put on needed to be perfect.

Meaning she actually had to interact with people.

From what Ryla had seen in the first few hours of the Selection, the other girls were hit or miss in terms of personality. Most were either power-hungry gold-diggers, genuinely infatuated romantics, or so demure that you couldn't tell if they were a human or a doll, all of which were equal detestable. There were a couple that were legitimately chill and fun to be around, but Ryla reminded herself not to get attached.

That had been pretty easy so far. The makeover and photoshoot required minimal conversation. Even afterwards, as they were being led through the castle like cattle to the slaughter, nobody tried to make any meaningful conversation. Mindless chatter about the palace and the day's events was the only thing that broke the invisible barrier that separated the girls. Even dinner, so far, was a mostly quiet affair, each girl individually contemplating what this new life would bring.

And like a rock thrown at a still lake, the doors opened and the king, in all of his regal glory, came into the room to disturb the peace.

No one knew what to do. It seemed that, like Ryla, no one was expecting to see the prince until tomorrow. The change was palpable. Every back in the room straightened as if pulled by some invisible string. Locks of hair were adjusted, dresses were rearranged, makeup was not-so-subtly reapplied. Ryla, oddly enough, found herself doing the same, if only to keep up appearances. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath.

Kieren was taller and lankier than Ryla thought. Probably because she only ever saw him on TV next to Rhys, Brant or Roland Camarillo and all three were giants. If one thing was certain, it was that the king definitely benefited from the handsome genes of the Schreave family. His dark brown hair was combed back and he wore a perfectly-fitted, starched suit. He strode into the room with a confidence that came with being born on top of the world.

"Sorry to interrupt your dinner, ladies. I just wanted to come and say welcome to all of you. It really is a pleasure to have you ladies at the palace. If you don't mind, I would like to take the time to meet all of you individually and get to know a bit. After all, some of us are going to be spending quite a lot of time together, so I see no reason to hold off introductions." Kieren flashed a grin that perfectly matched the one Ryla had seen his older brother give on the Report. _Geez, he's like a carbon copy_.

A chorus of giggling followed the suggestion. Gwen, the girl sitting to Ryla's right, actually swooned. Did that happen in real life? Kieren was handsome and all, but not as good-looking as his brother and definitely not swoon-worthy.

He continued. "After everyone is done with dinner, Valorie will take you back to the Women's Room and will call you up one by one to talk."

Kieren then gave a low bow and left the room the way he came in, completely oblivious to the sudden storm that overtook the Dining Room in his wake. As soon as the door closed behind him, the room erupted in fervent conversation, a radical change from what the atmosphere had been before his arrival.

Ryla looked around the room in amusement. People were gossiping like housewives in a soap opera. Snippets of conversation reached her ears amidst the clamor. "He's so handsome" and "I can't wait to meet him" were the most popular statements. A couple girls instead were scooping food into their mouths, abandoning all pretenses of decorum in order to see him sooner. Now that the prize was so near and so tangible, everyone in the room seemed suddenly determined to be the last one standing.

Ashe, the girl sitting to her left who happened to be one of the few Ryla liked, leaned closer. "Did you notice how his hand was shaking?"

Ryla looked at her and immediately began to rethink her previous opinion of the group. Ashe's eyes were brimming with an intelligence that said she would not become a mindless sheep like everyone else. Ashe was not the only one, but she in particular seemed a bit too perceptive for her own good. Ryla would need to be careful around them.

She shook her head. "I didn't even notice. I was too focused on the rest of him."

Ashe shrugged, "I guess he is handsome. Not sure if he's really my type, though."

Ryla smirked. "It's not like we really get a choice."

"Yeah, I'm not really interested in the thought of marriage."

Suddenly, another voice chimed in loudly. "Then why are you here?"

Nearby heads turned to look at Finley, who sat across the table from Ryla. She was looking at Ashe in a way that said she wasn't at all sorry for eavesdropping.

Ashe cocked her head. "Sorry?"

"There are thousands of girls around the country who would give up everything to be where you are right now. You can't tell me that there's nothing that you're trying to get out of this."

Ashe eyes narrowed. "Am I offending you or something?"

"Are you listening to me at all? If there's no reason for you to be here then why did you come? Why did you sign up?"

Ryla joined in the conversation, partly to keep up appearances, and partly because this was getting ridiculous. "Finley, calm down. Why does this matter?"

Finley crossed her arms. "I'm just asking her a simple question that she doesn't seem to want to give a straight answer to."

Ashe scoffed. "I never said I don't have reason to be here. Just because-"

Laughing triumphantly, Finley pointed at her. "So you admit it, you _are _just here for the money. You don't care about our king or this country. You just want to line your pockets."

"Are you fucking kidding me? What kind of conclusions are you jumping to?"

Ryla looked around the room and noticed that every other conversation in the room had stopped. All eyes were on Finley and Ashe. Purely based on facial reactions, it felt like most people thought that Finley was way out of line, but there were some that also seemed to agree with her. Yet no one came to either girl's aid.

"I'm not going to debate you over the morality of intent. I'm here because I was picked the same way that you were."

Finley sneered. "You're not even from Illea. Didn't you come from New Asia? No wonder you only care about yourself. All you're good for is taking what's rightfully someone else's."

Suddenly, Ashe slammed her hands on the table and stood. "I've lost my appetite. Goodnight."

Every eye was glued to the back of her head as she walked around the table and out of the room. The doors behind her closed with a thud that reverberated in the silence.

Lynn, who was sitting halfway down the table, turned to Finley. "What's wrong with you?" Ryla's opinion of her immediately went up.

Finley crossed her arms and leaned back, seeming both satisfied with the effect of her words and bitter for everything she didn't yet get to say. "My family lost everything because of the New Asian Civil Wars."

"And how is that her fault?"

"She's probably the worst candidate here to be queen. The sooner she realizes that, the better."

Before anyone could say anything else, Valorie, the palace event planner and the woman running the Selection, strode into the room through the doors that Ashe had just left through. Ryla thought that Valorie kind of resembled a pencil, carrying herself with a rigidity that made her seem ancient, even though she couldn't have been more than a decade older than the Selected.

"What happened in here?" She asked.

Finley beat everyone to the punch. "I was expressing my opinion on a relevant issue and it seems it was an unpopular one."

Valorie sighed and looked around the room. "May I remind you all that one of you will be queen someday, where your behavior must be a reflection of that status at all times." She then looked directly at Finley. "Try to remember that the next time another 'unpopular opinion' comes to light."

At Valorie's prompting, they all resumed dinner in a silence that closely resembled how they started the meal. Ryla took a cursory glance around the room at the girls she'd be living with and touched one of the few things she brought to the palace, a pendant around her neck, for comfort and as a reminder of her purpose. She refused to be pulled into the Selection's social politics, no matter how much she wanted to voice her opinion. This was certainly turning out to be much more than she bargained for.

* * *

As soon as the doors closed behind him, Kieren released a sigh and leaned against the doors to the Dining Room. Studying the applications that they had sent in was one thing. Seeing them in person and knowing that he'd spend the rest of his life with one of them was completely different.

The entire time he stood in front of them, the tremors in his hand were taking up almost all of his attention. He had to hide it behind his back so that the girls wouldn't notice how hard it was to put on another face. Kieren felt like he was living beneath layers and layers of masks. There was the one he wore in front of government officials and his advisors. There was another one he wore in front of Ada. One for the TV. One for the servants. Even one for Shane. And now, one for the Selected. It didn't escape him that this mask was very similar to Rhys.

And of course, as if summoned by some subconscious thought, his brother's ghost spoke up from over his shoulder. "Not as easy as you thought, huh?"

Kieren shook his head. "How did you do it so well?"

"Easy. People just like me more."

He rolled his eyes. "I shouldn't have asked."

Just then, another door down the hall that lead into the Dining Room opened violently and one of the Selected girls stormed out in what seemed like barely controlled fury. She passed out of view as she went down another hall so quickly that Kieren couldn't even tell who she was.

"What's with her?" Rhys asked.

"No idea."

Kieren walked to where the two hallways intersected and peered around the corner. The girl was nowhere to be seen, but Valorie and Shane were walking towards him. Shane was looking over his shoulder as Valorie passed him and entered the Dining Room.

Shane pointed down the hall. "What's with her?"

Kieren sighed and answered the question again. "No idea. I'll have Valorie check on her later."

Shane shrugged. "I'm sure she'll be fine." He rubbed his hands together. "More importantly, can I stand in with you when you're talking to the girls?"

Kieren gave his friend a withering look. "Why… ?"

"I'm your best friend. Shouldn't I get some input as to who you should marry?"

He shook his head violently. "No, you really shouldn't."

"Can I come anyway?" Shane whined. "Please? _Please_?"

Kieren put his hands on his hips and looked Shane up and down. At least today he was actually wearing the standard royal guard uniform. Normally, he wore whatever he wanted and only got away with it because he was the captain of Kieren's personal guard. It wouldn't really be too much of a distraction to have Shane in the room. If anything, having a familiar presence might be helpful. "Fine, but in there, you are a royal guard and nothing more. Don't say anything. Don't mouth anything. I don't want to hear your opinions until after."

Shane stood at attention and saluted him mockingly. "Yes, sir."

Kieren lead the way to a small conference room near the Women's Room. Normally, there was a large table in the middle of the room surrounded by chairs, but he had temporarily replaced it with a couple of couches and a coffee table so it felt more like a friendly discussion as opposed to an interview.

Shane stood at attention by the door, surprisingly serious about being a guard and nothing but a guard. He could be an infuriating asshole sometimes but he legitimately respected Kieren and was serious when he needed to be. Kieren really appreciated having a real friend in the palace who looked past the royalty label.

Not too long after Kieren left the Dining Room, Valorie opened the door, clipboard in hand. She curtsied low as she entered the room. Valorie was a bit stiff about decorum, but she was a brilliant event planner and would make the perfect tutor for the girls, so he was willing to put up with her insistence for properness. "Your Majesty. Is there any particular order you want to see them in?"

Kieren looked at Shane to see what he thought. Shane just cupped his hands around his chest area and mouth the word "boobs". Kieren rolled his eyes but then said, "Send in Annalise Howell first."

Despite all their jokes about the model being a "sexy lamp", she was really nice and bubbly and excited about everything and Kieren couldn't help but like her positivity.

The next meeting did not go nearly as well.

As soon as Cadence Alvarez came in the room, Kieren could tell she was nervous. Her auburn hair was matted with sweat around her forehead and her violet blue dress was wrinkled in one area where she must have been scrunching it up. Her hands were clenched into tight fists by her side as she shuffled into the room.

Kieren stood as she entered and bowed to her. "Cadence, is it?"

She curtsied stiffly. "Yes, your Majesty."

"Cadence, there's no need to be nervous. I'm not going to bite." He plastered a smile on his face for extra reassurance.

He cringed as she let out a shrill laugh. That was going to take some getting used to. "I know. It's just been pretty overwhelming so far."

Kieren offered her the seat next to him before sitting himself. "I can imagine. You're taken from your home and forced to date a guy you never met before. I'm glad though that you're here."

"I'm glad, too. Oh, back at home, we were all devastated when we heard about the crash, but I was so happy when you announced that you were going to have a Selection and that you're able to find happiness again."

Kieren recoiled at the words. He had really been hoping that the subject of the crash wouldn't come up. He wasn't ready to talk about it with his best friend, let alone some stranger who just walked through the door. Trying to change the subject, he said, "Speaking of home, you're from Dominica, right? How is it there?"

Cadence smiled brightly. "Oh, I love it. Sometimes, it can get really hot, especially around this time of year, but I lived a few miles from the ocean and it's so beautiful. Honestly, I thought I would live there for the rest of my life. But I remember a year ago, Prince Rhys and Princess Sophie came to visit the beaches near my town for a vacation and I saw them and I remember thinking that I had to visit Angeles some day."

Not only was her train of thought all over the place, for some reason, she kept coming back over and over to his family, as if she thought that would impress him. The five minutes that they talked stretched to what seemed like five hours of torture.

She gazed up at the ceiling fancifully. "And when they got married, we were watching it on TV and we were so excited for them. But the crash happened a week later and we were so devastated."

"Yeah, so you've mentioned." Kieren muttered under his breath, more focused on keeping his breathing under control. He felt like he was drowning.

He looked up and saw Shane by the door looking at him, ready to jump in at a moment's notice. So when Kieren mouthed the word 'help', he was ready.

"Your Majesty, I think that it's time to wrap up." Shane tapped his wrist. "There are thirty-three more girls that you need to see tonight."

Blessedly, Cadence stopped talking and Kieren was able to think again.

He looked at her. She was still just as nervous as when she entered the room. Nerves he could understand for the most part, but he could not do this again. Cadence would have to go as soon as possible.

Kieren felt bad though. He had been planning on following Rhys's example all the way through. His older brother had met with each of the girls the first night and then had Valorie send home the ones he didn't like the next morning. Cadence was way too hard for him to deal with, but otherwise she seemed like a nice girl. It didn't feel right to unceremoniously kick her out of the palace.

"Look, Cadence." He put his hand on her shoulder. "I think it's for the best that I send you home."

It took a moment for the words to register, but once it did, she looked destroyed. Tears began to form in her eyes and her lip began to tremble. "What… did I do something wrong?"

_Yes_. _Everything_. "No, I just didn't really feel a connection is all. You didn't do anything wrong."

She began crying into her hands. Kieren rubbed her back absently. "I'm not going to kick you out right now. You can stay in the palace until tomorrow and Valorie will help you send you home, okay?"

Cadence nodded and walked to the door where Valorie was waiting. She didn't even remember to curtsy.

The moment the door closed behind them, Kieren was breathing heavily into his hands. It had been so hard to keep it together while she was in the room that he was shaking and could barely catch his breath now that she was gone. Flash of memories came in waves. Thunder, a house, a ring. He barely had enough time to take a breath before another swell crashed down over his head. A car, a light, a gunshot. He was caught in the riptide, helpless against the current that seemed intent on drowning him.

Shane was by his side in an instant. "Holy shit, are you okay? Do you… need water or something?"

Kieren just shook his head and waited for the tremors to pass. He remembered that vacation that Cadence had mentioned. It was where Rhys had proposed to Sophie. Kieren and Ada had tagged along in order to help him set up the perfect scene. Rhys had planned to take her for a walk along the beach on the last day and propose as the sun set. But that day it stormed badly so he had to propose inside their beach house and she loved the moment even more so because of the imperfection. And then five months later they died. And that was that.

It took him awhile but eventually he could breathe easily again. He looked up where Shane, and now Valorie, crouched in front of him. "I can't do that again."

Valorie gave a look of concern, uncharacteristically breaching her typical air of propriety. "You can stop if you want. You don't have to go through all of them tonight."

Kieren shook his head. "No, I want to get this over with." He paused, then pointed at Shane. "Just, if that happens again, stop it."

Shane nodded. "You got it, chief."

He took another moment to compose himself and then nodded to Valorie, who stood by the door, to let the next one in.

Illeana Baird, Denbeigh. Kristen Vaughn, Bankston. Virginia Bryant, Sonage. Elisa Martin, Hudson, sent home. Megan Shapiro, Sumner. They were all beginning to blur together after a while.

Paisley Grant, Hansport. Jacqueline Gardner, Clermont, sent home. Terese Clark, Belmont. Name after name after name after name. Some of them were definitely intriguing and he liked them, but none of the conversations particularly stood out as life changing. He didn't know why he had been expecting some sort of epiphany. He sent home the ones he instinctively knew that he'd never have a future with.

Finley Musgrave, Carolina. Kendra Shaw, Lakedon. Gabriella Kanner, Panama, sent home. Siena Wade, St. George. Alice Byrd, Whites, sent home. _I'm so tired_.

Blythe Aldous, Allens, sent home. Gwen Butera, Calgary, sent home. Ryla Perez, Paloma. Mira Byrne, Midston. _Was it this hard for you too, Rhys? Or is it just me?_

Kieren sighed and forced a smile on his face. "Send in the next one, Valorie."

She hesitated for a moment, glancing at the clipboard. "That was the last one, your Majesty."

He cocked his head and check his mental count again. "Wasn't that only thirty-four."

Valorie held the clipboard against her chest. "Ashe Kim from Waverly said she wasn't feeling well and retired early." She bit her lower lip, which was probably the least ladylike thing he'd ever seen her do. "I told her that you would be meeting the girls tonight and refusing to show up would probably end with her being eliminated, but she was adamant."

Kieren shook his head and stood. "I really don't feel like dealing with this now. I can see her tomorrow."

Valorie looked like she wanted to say something, but Kieren was already in the hall and going to his room. At the foot of the stairs, he felt the familiar weight of a hand on his shoulder. Kieren didn't turn to look.

"Dude, you sure you're alright?" Shane asked.

"Fine. Just need sleep." Which was partially true.

A heavy pause followed and for a moment Kieren thought he might get pulled into another conversation he didn't want to have, until Shane said, "Okay. See you tomorrow." He sounded skeptical, but didn't act upon it.

"Yeah, see ya."

Kieren went up to his room. He felt like he was always going to sleep exhausted beyond belief. It was definitely not a good thing, but with an infinite amount of things constantly demanding his attention, he didn't know how to fix it. So he lay in bed, too confused to think, waiting for sleep to come.

* * *

**Ah yes, the magic of foreshadowing. **

**Well, bye. **


	4. Chapter 4

**So college made it really hard to keep up with writing (if the fact that I haven't updated in three months didn't make that evident), but then all of a sudden quarantine. So I took the time to write two chapters and will be uploading them both before I forget to. **

**This next chapter was kind of difficult for me to write, mostly because it has a very different style. Hope you like it.**

* * *

Chapter Four:

It's a perfect May morning. Warm enough to not need a jacket but cool enough that wearing a full suit isn't unbearable. Sunlight illuminating a cloudless blue sky. A slight breeze that gently shifts the gossamer curtains through the open window, bringing the faint scent of flowers from the garden.

And yet so tantalizingly out of reach.

I don't notice the figure leaning carelessly against the door frame until he speaks. "You've paced the length of this room at least eighty times now," The figure remarks.

I don't even look up from the notebook in my hands. _Maya. Ari. Ryan. Teresa_. Why do there have to be so many names? "If you had to go through a Selection, I promise you'd be doing the same thing," I respond.

He snickers and I can almost sense his eyes rolling. "Well then, it's a damn good thing that I'll never have a Selection, because you look like you're on the brink of an aneurysm."

I read the same line over for the seventh time and still don't register the information. "That… is a valid observation."

"It's simple. Stepha, 20, the singer from Allens. Sophie, 17, is a journalist from Angeles. Juliana, 19, from Atlin is a nurse, Mari-"

I halfheartedly chuck the notebook in his direction. He doesn't even flinch as it lands at his feet, the pages flapping around gracelessly. "I get it, you're smarter than me. No need to rub it in." I slump onto the sofa and groan. "Why couldn't you be born before me?"

My brother hands me the notebook and puts a hand on my shoulder in a mock-patronizing sort of way, as if I were a child whose behavior he needed to correct. "Ah, foolish Rhys. It's because I would make an awful king. I hate people."

I swat his hand away. "You don't hate people. You just hate responsibility, Kieren."

Kieren shudders. "That word. Isn't it hateful?"

"Responsibility."

"Ahhh, stop."

I roll my eyes and ruffle his hair in the way that I know he hates. "So why are you here anyway?"

His face, filled with annoyance at my teasing, suddenly morphs into a conspiratorial grin. It's the same type of look that he gave me before talking about plans to sneak out of the palace or take the car for a joyride. A look that would haunt me for the rest of my days.

"I'm not going to like whatever you're going to say."

"Nope." He grins.

I sigh heavily and brace myself for whatever is coming. "Okay, spill."

"In the four hours that you spent here memorizing names, all the girls arrived and are waiting downstairs for you to do introductions."

I freeze. "What? Is it 5:30 already?"

"It's 6:00. Mom's in the west drawing room."

I'm out the door before he even finishes the sentence. _Was I really in there for four hours_? As I'm running, I try to recall literally anything about the girls, but in my frazzled state, I can barely remember the names of all the provinces, let alone match them to each individual girl.

I burst into the west drawing room to find my mother, Queen Kerttu, talking to Valorie, the new palace event coordinator. A severe woman, if I ever saw one, but she's nice enough. Mom, however, is regal in her stately dress, one that somehow manages to perfectly straddle the border between gown and uniform. Both women turn to me as I enter, both of their faces etched with annoyance and disapproval.

Out of breath, I bow to them and pant, "Lady Midea. Mother."

"You're late, Rhys."

"Apologies. I was trying to memorize everyone's names so I don't make a fool of myself."

She nods. "So will you be making a fool of yourself?"

"Most definitely."

Mom sighs heavily and smiles. She turns to Valorie. "Make sure the girls are ready and bring them in one by one for introductions."

Valorie bows in response and leaves the room, leaving me alone with the queen.

I awkwardly rub the back of my neck. "Again, sorry about that. I was really trying to get those names down and…"

Mom gently grabs my hand, silencing me. She absently traces the lines of my palm with her thumb as if trying to read them like a map and memorize their exact placement. "It's a terrifying thing, the Selection process. You're still so young, and yet you're forced to make a decision that will not only determine your future but the future of the country, and all within the span of a few months. And there are so many expectations that you have to fulfill even when you don't feel at all prepared…"

"Mom? Are you okay?"

She seems to awaken from some stupor and blinks away whatever was on her mind. "Sorry. Lost in thought." She reaches up to cup my face. "You'll do great, Rhys. At the end of the day, I just want you to be happy. I'll come back and check up on you again after you are done."

Before I can say anything, she's gone. _What the heck was that?_ Sure, the Selection is certainly stressful but up till now, I hadn't thought about my decision quite as daunting as Mom seemed to. If anything, it seemed like an opportunity. Rhys didn't get to meet too many people his age other than the children of the heads of other nations. This gave him a chance to meet new people and find the love of his life. And if there was really no connection between him and the girls currently in the castle, he could try again like Mom had done.

I don't have long to contemplate it however, before Stepha of Allens enters the room and she is nothing short of stunning. Her glossy chocolate hair perfectly frames her heart-shaped face and shines in the light. Her bright red dress and impeccable make-up perfectly brings out the color of her eyes and curves in all the right places. Whoever was her stylist was in desperate need of a raise.

"My God, you're gorgeous."

Stepha laughs. "Are you planning on saying that to everyone or should I feel special?"

I cover my mouth, dumbstruck. "I didn't say that out loud, did I?"

She smiles, showing off a set of perfect white teeth. "I don't mind. It was cute."

"Uh-huh." Is all I can say, like an idiot. Yet another moment when I'd give anything for my brother's eloquence.

The next five minutes pass like a blur and I'm pretty sure we didn't say anything substantial but I can't guarantee that. All I know is that I could not keep my eyes off of her.

As Stepha leaves and I finally break free of whatever spell I was under, Valorie peeks her head in. "Your Highness, are you ready for me to send in the next one?"

I nod, somewhat detached, but that changes when Sophie of Angeles comes in. Sophie is remarkably different from Stepha. She is no less gorgeous, with her golden hair flowing in gentle curls over her shoulder like a river and her light blue gown, but somehow Sophie exudes a deeper beauty. I can't quite determine why. It could have something to do with her effortless grace, or her kind eyes, or just her general aura, but where Stepha was someone I wanted to look at, Sophie is someone I want to be friends with.

She curtsies deeply. "Your Highness."

I respond with a smile and a bow. "Lady Sophie."

For some reason, she looks confused at that and I hesitate. "Sorry, would you prefer if I call you Miss… Sorry, what's your last name."

At that she looks even more confused. Then she bursts out laughing, her voice like a bell. "I'm sorry. It's just that no one has ever called me a lady before and I was confused."

"Would you rather I call you something else?"

"I kind of like Lady Sophie. Makes me feel important."

I flash her a smile. "Well, you look lovely, Lady Sophie and I think that you should feel important."

She looks down sheepishly. "That's very kind of you, but I'm just one among thirty-four beautiful people. I-"

Suddenly, the door on the opposite side of the room from where Sophie entered opened with a loud squeal and Kieren nonchalantly walked into the room.

Incredulous, I hiss, "Kieren, what are you doing here?"

"Just making sure you remember all of the girls' names."

"Well, if you haven't noticed, I'm kind of busy right now." I gesture towards Sophie with a head nod.

"Of course you are." Kieren bows to her. "Sorry to disturb your conversation, Lady Sophie. I just wanted to annoy my brother."

Sophie, thankfully, isn't upset and she gets up from the couch and bows back. "It's an honor to meet you, your Highness."

"The pleasure is all mine." He replies.

"Great, you're acquainted. Now get out."

Kieren laughs and practically skips back out the door. Never one to let anyone have the last word, he whispers as he's closing the door, "You two have fun."

When the door clicks shut, I rub my face with my hand, feeling ten years older. "I am so sorry about that."

Sophie smiles. "It's fine. I think that it's nice having a brother that admires you so much. I'm an only child, so I've always wondered what it was like having younger siblings."

I shake my head. "No, Kieren doesn't admire me. He's too much of a smart ass."

"I think it's really hard for siblings to understand each other's true feelings, but to me it seemed like he really looks up to you."

I cock my head. "How so?"

"Well, for one, he knows me by name and by face, so that must mean he spent a long time memorizing each of the Selected. And then he came in to check up on you under the pretense that he was trying to be an annoyance. I think that's just his way of looking out for his big brother."

I study her again. Even after only a couple minutes of conversation, I can tell that Sophie is the type of girl who's too nice for her own good, but is much smarter that anyone gives her credit for. It only reaffirms my desire to become her friend.

When the time is up for our introductions, I can't help but wish I could spend more time just talking. Every other girl after her fell somewhere between Stepha and Sophie, but none of them left quite the same impact as she did.

Not too long after I say farewell to Ryan Wilson from Zuni, Queen Kerttu comes back into the room with Valerie in tow. There are no hints of whatever lingering regrets that Mom expressed earlier on her face.

"So, what did you think?" She asks.

I nod. "They're… really something."

Valorie, all business, offers a list of names with pictures and gets right to the point. "Which of them are you planning on sending home?"

I take the clipboard and look at the list, crossing out names as I go. "Um… Delilah, Stepha, Nicole-"

"Wait, Stepha?" Mom asks. "I thought you two were getting along?"

"I- wait, how do you know we were getting along?"

She bites her lip and avoids my eyes. "I might have been listening to part of your conversation at the very beginning."

I give her a look. "Really, Mom? You and Kieren?"

"Kieren was listening, too? Never mind. Doesn't matter. Why are you sending Stepha home?"

I was actually kind of surprised myself when I said her name but it felt right. "I didn't think so at first, but I don't think we'd be able to converse really well. She was beautiful, no doubt, but I think I need to be looking for something more than just that."

Mom smiles warmly, as if congratulating me for reaching a conclusion as to what I want. "I'm glad. Valorie, can you tell the girls tomorrow morning?"

Valorie nods in affirmation, takes the clipboard and leaves. Mom turns back to me. "Anyone that you particularly like?"

A couple of faces immediately come to mind, Sophie being among them, but I say, "I'm not sure yet. But these kinds of decisions don't happen immediately." I stand up and put a hand on her shoulder. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go beat up Kieren."

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**As always, please tell me why I am bad because I'm probably bad and I really do want to make my writing better.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yep. Quarantine.**

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Chapter Five:

Sleep did not come. It was strange, how one can be so tired one second and then wide awake the next for no reason at all. He kept getting plagued by thoughts on a wide spectrum of topics from stupid philosophy ("where do we go when we die?") to regular stupid ("if there was a zombie apocalypse…"). After tossing and turning for hours, he finally accepted that he would not be falling asleep anytime soon.

This happened often enough that he had a usual place he went to think when he was restless. When Rhys and Kieren were kids, their aunt Martta had shown them a bunch of palace secrets, like hidden libraries and safe rooms that hadn't been used in a long time. Kieren's favorite had been the roof and from then on whenever he needed privacy, it was one of the places he knew no one would bother him.

The place that the stairway let out wasn't really the roof so much as it was a room built into the attic with no ceiling. It was surrounded on all sides by walls so all you could see was the sky directly above. At first that was sufficient, but after a while, just the sky itself just wasn't enough. So Kieren had brought up a ladder and propped it up against one of the walls so that he could climb up and sit on the actual roof.

He climbed up silently so as not to alert any guards who might be patrolling outside to his presence. The roof was almost flat in many areas so he wasn't afraid of falling off. He didn't even go near the edge when he came up here. His favorite spot to sit was up against one of the chimneys that he believed connected to the fireplace in the Great Room.

However, as he stepped around the chimney, he almost lost his footing when he realized that there was someone already there. Someone who seemed equally freaked out to see him.

"Holy shit, you scared me." Kieren said, before looking around and remembering where they were. "How'd you get up here?"

The silhouette pointed slowly in the direction of the door, as if it was obvious. "There was a ladder…" Her voice was rich and unfamiliar. He couldn't see her very well in the dark, but he saw enough to identify her as the thirty fifth Selection girl. Ashe Kim.

He hesitated. "No, I mean, how did you find the entrance? The only way to get up here is hidden pretty well."

"They wouldn't let me into the gardens, so I asked one of the guards if there was a place I could get some privacy and he showed me the stairwell and the latch in the fireplace."

He paused, alarmed. "Who showed you this?" That was a huge breach in security. Showing a stranger, even if she was a distinguished guest, one of the palace secrets was something the guards were expressly forbidden to do.

Ashe rubbed the back of her neck. "I didn't catch his name. Tall, light brown hair, a few piercings in his left ear, was holding a katana for some reason."

Kieren let out a heavy sigh, relieved. At least it wasn't some security concern he wasn't already aware of. "That was Shane. You probably asked the _only _person in the entire palace who would actually bring you up here."

"Yeah, he seemed like one with a penchant for not following rules."

"You have no idea." It took him a moment to realize he had forgotten introductions completely. "So, you are Ashe, I presume."

She nodded. "And, you are?"

Kieren just stood dumbfounded for a moment. There was no way she couldn't know it was him. "Do you… do you not know who I am?" A dozen different scenarios of secret midnight trysts and mistaken identities played out in his head like the script of a bad rom-com.

She chuckled. "Of course I do. I just thought you would want to introduce yourself rather than have your reputation precede you."

It took a moment for that to register and even then the only thing that came out of his mouth was a pathetic "Oh." He couldn't remember the last time he needed to introduce himself. He was used to being either announced or recognized on the spot. It felt strange but oddly nice. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, your name for starters would be nice."

Kieren smiled, even though she wouldn't be able to see it in the dark. "My name is Kieren." He stuck out his hand. "Looking forward to either the next three days, three months or three decades with you."

Ashe chuckled and stood, as surefooted on the uneven terrain as he was after years of coming up here. She took his hand with a firm grip. "Are you always this blunt?"

"Are you always this brazen?" He countered.

"Probably."

"I mean you already stood me up earlier today, so I'd say it's a good bet."

He meant it to be lighthearted and complimentary, but Ashe didn't seem to take it that way. Her playful energy faded and she sat and hugged her knees close to her chest. "Sorry I wasn't there for introductions earlier."

_Shit, I blew it. _"I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry. And don't be. Valorie said you weren't feeling well. I don't want to force anyone into anything. I just thought it was nice that you're talking to me like a normal person and not like I'm the king. Even though I am, I wish people wouldn't always talk to me that way." This was going nowhere fast. _Damn my stupid mouth_.

He looked over at her and she seemed to be intensely amused by his ramblings. He cleared his throat, trying to erase what just happened. "Are you feeling better now?"

"After listening to whatever that was, immensely."

Kieren reddened and was grateful that it was dark out and she couldn't see the embarrassment painted on his face. _Change the subject._ "If you don't mind me asking, why did you leave the Dining Room earlier today?"

She stiffened. "You saw that?"

_Wrong subject! _"Not what happened, just you storming out of the room. Or I assume that was you. I didn't get a good look."

Ashe gazed at some fixed point in the distance, not looking at him. "Let's just say I'm finding less and less of a reason to be here."

Catching on to the underlying message that she didn't want to talk about it, Kieren lowered himself to the floor and sat leaning against the adjacent side of the chimney so she wouldn't have to look at him. "So I take it you aren't here for the pleasure of my company then."

"Your company is welcome but I doubt most people are here for just that."

Kieren nodded, even though she couldn't see it. "I'm no fool, I know exactly what people are here for. I don't exactly blame them." He paused. "That's what you came here for as well, I assume?"

"What?"

"The crown?"

She sighed. "I don't want to be queen. I don't want your hand. I came here knowing that I would be sent home and I'm perfectly fine with that."

Kieren cringed. He didn't expect to be loved right off the bat, but knowing that some people weren't even trying to pretend was disheartening. From what he remembered about the girls at Rhys's Selection, many of them seemed almost in love with him, even from the beginning. And perhaps that was Kieren's naivete, but so far his Selection was certainly not going the way he expected.

"Then why are you here?" He ventured.

"Funny. You're the second person to ask me that today."

_Second person?_ It must have been another person in the Selection, because the palace staff probably wouldn't ask something so impertinent. Also it must have been in a negative connotation, otherwise it probably wouldn't have been memorable enough to mention. Kieren thought back to all of the conversations he had that night. "Let me guess, it was Finley."

Ashe's face suddenly appeared from around the chimney. "I thought you said you didn't see what happened in the Dining Room."

"I didn't. She just had this odd smug look on her face when she thought I wasn't paying attention." Kieren craned his neck around the brick. "Did she say something?"

Ashe sighed. "You know you can sit next to me, if you want. I appreciate that you're trying to respect my space, but it is kind of awkward talking to a disembodied voice."

Kieren stifled a laugh at that. It _was _getting awkward but he didn't want to be the first one to say it. He scooted around the chimney and sat next to her. "So what did she say?"

There was a long pause. Ashe dug her fingernails into her arms, leaving small crescent marks in her skin. When she spoke, her voice was quiet, almost to the point when Kieren couldn't hear her. "She said that all those from New Asia are good for is taking what's rightfully someone else's."

He grimaced. The entire subject was a touchy one. The New Asian Civil Wars had been going on for almost ten years now. The entire area was in a constant state of turmoil as entire regions rebelled against the current aristocratic regime. Tensions had been high even when his mother was young as the government was completely in the hands of a few territories that profited at the expense of the others. Then, when the first shots rang out in Indochina at a peaceful protest, territories that used to be independent countries such as Indochina, Japan, Korea, India and Malaysia all seceded.

When the Queen was alive, she had sent troops to New Asia as a peacekeeping force to help reestablish stability as a sign of goodwill towards their allies, but the presence of Illean troops only seemed to make things worse. People in the seceding territories claimed that the alliance was also with them and that Illea was wrong to choose a side. Illea was forced to get involved when the territories began to retaliate against their forces and the country had been pulled into a war it never expected to fight.

Thousands of soldiers were killed and even more were being pushed into the region yearly. Not as many as had been deployed when Illea and New Asia were at war during Kieren's great-grandfather's time, but certainly a lot. Illean newspapers claimed that it was Queen Kerttu's greatest blunder, and secretly, she had agreed. They never should have been pulled into the war.

With the total number of people displaced by the war numbering in the millions, refugees flocked to Illea in droves. Kieren didn't have an exact count, but he was pretty sure that some hundred thousand refugees had been accepted in that year alone from the allied and seceding territories alike. And thus sprang the backlash.

Citizens, angry with the state of the war, took their anger out on the refugees mostly. Not just the ones from the rebelling territories, but also the ones from the allied New Asia. There were so many protests about their presence that Kieren often couldn't keep up. The xenophobia was only worsened by the fact that the drought in the Southern Provinces resulted in a food shortage. People complained that the refugees were taking too many resources that should go instead to "hard-working citizens". It was things like these that kept sending people towards the rebels and that kept Kieren up at night. He hadn't expected that the Selection would serve as a microcosm for the rest of the country and that the bitterness and aggression that affected Illea would find its way to the palace, but he should have anticipated it.

"I'm really sorry that happened to you. It shouldn't have."

Ashe nodded. "I don't even blame Finley for it. I've seen how she interacts with other people. She's not a bad person, she's just angry. And probably for good reason."

Kieren nodded respectfully. It wasn't easy to have someone hate you and try not to hate them back, especially when that animosity stemmed from something that wasn't your fault.

He was uneasy about what he was going to say next, but it felt right to offer. "You said you're finding less and less reason to be here. I can send you home if that's what you want."

She seemed to think about it for a second, then shook her head. "I can't go back. Not yet at least." Kieren could hear her smile when she spoke next. "I'll just stick around until you get sick of me."

_What is it that she's trying to get away from? _He wondered. He put his hands behind his head and laid down against the roof shingles to look at the sky. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy that night to see any stars. "That might not happen for some time. I quite enjoyed our conversation, despite the dark turn it took."

Ashe smiled, seeming grateful for the change of topic. "Likewise. Against my better judgement, I am truly finding pleasure in your company."

He liked her. She was easy to talk to and she had a spirit that he admired. Even though she clearly wasn't trying very hard to hide her opinions of him and the Selection as a whole, Kieren saw himself becoming friends with her. And when friends were few and far between, he needed as many as he could get.

"What's something that you like to do in your free time?" He asked as he sat up.

"Free time?"

"You do know what that is, don't you?" He joked.

She cocked her head. "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"

"Touche."

Ashe contemplated for a bit. "I guess reading."

She clearly didn't understand where this was going. "Anything else?" He prompted.

"I don't know. I like to go on walks."

Kieren slumped, making sure it was as exaggerated as possible. "Really? Walks?"

"What did you want me to say? Wrestling?"

"Maybe." He stood up and looked down at her. She looked immensely confused. "Okay, tomorrow, you and I will be going on a walk."

She blinked in surprise. "Wait, what? Why?"

"Technically, you and I weren't supposed to meet until tomorrow, since you weren't feeling well. So if we don't end up 'meeting', but seem to know each other anyway, people will get suspicious. So you and I will be taking a walk around the gardens."

Ashe groaned, but he could tell it was just for show. "But dad?"

"No buts. Also, you just made it really weird."

"Yeah, I regretted that as soon as I said it."

They both burst into laughter, a pure reaction completely unadulterated by all the things that plagued them. Kieren felt better than he had in ages. "Well, I'll leave you to your thoughts. You should go back inside soon, though. From what I've heard from Valorie, you have a long day tomorrow."

Ashe groaned again, this time for real. "Really?"

He shrugged. "Unfortunately. My condolences to you." He bowed to her. "Good night, Ashe."

Kieren turned to walk away, but stopped when she spoke. "With all due respect, I like you better this way."

"Oh good." Then he paused to actually think about the sentence. "This way…?"

"Like _this _you instead of the you that spoke to us in the Dining Hall. I like Kieren Schreave better than the King of Illea."

Ashe sounded so sincere that Kieren had to turn to make sure he was hearing it right. To his surprise, there was no hint of deception or humor in her smile. No lies, no jokes, no uncertainty.

Kieren looked down at his hands and for the first time in too long, he took off the masks. "Yeah, I do too." Then he left her alone on the roof.

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**Tell me what you think so that I can make it better thank you good day.**


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